CHEYENNE, Wyo. — In this edition of “Meet the Candidates,” Wendy Soto shares with Cap City News how she envisions serving Laramie County Community College if elected as a board trustee. Soto is one of six people running for the board. Four seats are open.
The following are responses that Soto shared with Cap City News. To view Q&As of other candidates in the general election, click here.
How do you plan to support the development of academic programs that align with Wyoming’s workforce needs, such as healthcare and advanced manufacturing?
I will continue to evaluate the information we learn from research and communication with industry and the community about academic and vocational programs that align to Wyoming’s workforce needs. I will support development and expansion of those programs as appropriate, keeping in mind that to best serve our students, those programs must also provide our students with either clear transfer pathways to a four-year institution or career opportunities that provide a living wage.
What strategies would you propose to increase student enrollment at LCCC, especially given demographic shifts and declining high school graduates?
As part of goal 2 in LCCC’s Strategic Plan 2030, in November of 2023 the Board of Trustees adopted a Strategic Enrollment Management Policy (SEM). LCCC has been working on the SEM plan for some time. The plan sets goals for recruitment, retention and marketing strategies. The team at LCCC is already in the middle of this work, including evaluation of those shifting demographics. I will continue to support this current plan as it is implemented and as it evolves.
What specific steps would you advocate for to raise LCCC’s reputation within the region and help the college become a finalist for the Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence by 2030?
One of the steps being taken toward raising LCCC’s reputation and making it a community college of excellence, is by working to ensure that our students not only succeed at LCCC, but that they succeed after they leave us. I am currently the Board’s liaison to the Unlocking Opportunities Steering Committee. The Unlocking Opportunities initiative has developed and is working to implement strategies to help our student to succeed after they have persisted and completed at LCCC.
The work of this initiative includes clearing transfer pathways to four-year institutions; creating equitable dual and concurrent enrollment for high school students so they are already aligned with our guided pathways; creating an individualized success plan for each student, so they know and are prepared for the plan. Those are just a few of the strategies being developed and implemented and which I will continue to support.
What specific measures will you implement to ensure LCCC achieves equitable outcomes for all student populations, particularly those from underserved communities?
I will continue to work with and support the work of Unlocking Opportunities (OU). One of the strategies of OU is to provide equitable dual & concurrent enrollment aligned to pathways. We know that engaging students early with opportunities like duel and concurrent enrollment has positive outcomes for the rate of high school students going to college. To ensure equitable opportunities for students, LCCC’s dual and concurrent offerings will place all DE/CE students in one of LCCC’s eight Pathways, and provided opportunities to be part of those communities of interest. Students will be advised and provided career exploration to help them get on a path to a high-value program. We will work to insure there is increasing participation in DE/CE from low-income, first-generation and disadvantaged populations in our service area. We will ensure that the opportunity to participate in DE/CE offerings is equitable across high schools within the school districts in LCCC’s service area, and that all school districts within the service area will provide the opportunity for DE/CE students to complete at least one year of college courses toward a chosen credential.
How will you address LCCC’s reliance on state funding, which is affected by Wyoming’s mineral industry, and what alternative revenue sources do you propose?
The legislature, Governor and the Wyoming Community College Commission address funding in each legislative session. The community college trustees advocate for the colleges during those session, I will continue that work. I also would consider other forms of funding, which might include support from industry, increased enrollment and other viable options.
I will not support placing the burden of declining state revenue and increasing costs, on the backs of our students by raising tuition and fees.
Is there anything else you’d like voters to know about you?
Being your elected trustee at LCCC is one of the great honors of my life. I love LCCC. I love it because the paralegal degree I earned at LCCC is the foundation of my career. I love watching the incredible people at LCCC, staff, faculty, administrators, who are dedicated and creative as they work hard to support students. I love watching the students who grow more self-confident as they succeed at LCCC. I love being just a small part of that success of the students and of LCCC.